Reduction of bycatch
Action: Action C2 (Recommendation 2024/02)
Title: Reduction of bycatch
Rationale
The QSR 2023 identified the incidental bycatch by fisheries as one of the main threats to marine birds across the OSPAR Maritime Area. It has been demonstrated across the world that mortality from bycatch can be significantly reduced by a suite of mitigation measures, depending on the fishing gear being used. Existing OSPAR actions on bycatch only focus on seven threatened and declining species and specific gear types. It will encourage consistency in implementation of National Plans of Action (NPOAs) on marine bird bycatch across OSPAR Contracting Parties and ensure all vulnerable species of marine birds in the North-East Atlantic are targeted. By doing so, will aim to minimise, and where possible eliminate, incidental bycatch of all marine birds that are sensitive to this pressure.
Description
Under this action, Contracting Parties will consider developing, adopting and implementing a National Plan of Action to minimise, and where possible eliminate, incidental bycatch of marine birds from all fishing gears. They will also work collectively to collate data on fishing effort (commercial & artisanal) and marine bird bycatch via the OSPAR Data and Information Management System (ODIMS) to conduct OSPAR Regional impact assessments of bycatch mortality on marine bird populations. The success of this action will be monitored using OSPAR indicator on marine bird bycatch (see Table 1). This indicator assesses the biological significance of marine bird bycatch mortality, thereby strengthening the evidence base concerning incidental bycatch.
